Where Should You Live To Further Your Career?

Living and working in Australia can offer a great lifestyle for skilled professionals, with a gorgeous climate, beautiful beaches and a high standard of living and pay. We are ranked 7th out of 174 countries world-wide by the Human Development Index, scoring highly in life expectancy, literacy, GDP and education.

But, not everything is sunny down-under, unemployment is now hitting 6.3% officially, so you should set yourself up for the future and ensure you’re in the right place at the right time, to build upon your experience and make the most of the opportunities available within your field. Do your homework first to ensure the right place, is a good fit for you and suits your lifestyle as best as possible.

The price of real estate, or renting costs, your job situation, the regions unemployment rate, the climate and your family situation all play a large role in determining where you end up residing.

When it comes to Property…

Calculation results (based on census data relating to housing and income costs) released by The Economist, Intelligence Unit, The Property Council of Australia (amongst others), earlier this year at the Brisbane economist’s conference in July, were summed up by Daniel Melser, senior lecturer in economics at RMIT.

According to The Economist’s calculations, Melbourne came out on top as the world’s number #1 most liveable city! But, The Property Council of Australia came to a different conclusion, finding Canberra to be Australia’s most liveable city. What a dilemma. Well, either way, both are beautiful places to live.

Meanwhile Perth and the WA outback, along with the Northern Territory have all been found as our nation’s least-pleasant locations to live.

Canberra is the middle-child. It’s not wildly expensive to call home, but it is not one of Australia’s more popular places to live, lacking the allure of Sydney’s beaches & harbour and missing character, unlike the appeal of Melbourne’s European charm.

But while Sydney and Melbourne are attractive options, they are also pricey. Mr Melser observed that “the people who live there might be well-paid, but no so well paid as to overcompensate for the costs of living. They live in inner Sydney and Melbourne because they love it”.

The top 5 most affordable suburbs turn out to be in Victoria and Tasmania. The cheapest apartments meanwhile are available in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

What all the best cities share in common is gorgeous weather (most of the year round), big arts and recreational sectors and a bustling dining scene.

Engineering is reaching for the Sky

According to a study by NATSEM and AMP, engineering is amongst the highest paid occupations in the country. Working as a Mining Engineer comes in at #5 on the list, while engineering managers take spot #10. Both professions bring in over $2000 per week.

Medical professions dominate the remainder of the most well-paid careers.